e229. She-Hulk: Sensational & Savage

It is pretty much impossible at this point to not have some MCU content in the current release. Between the films and the TV shows, they are a ubiquitous part of the cultural zeitgeist. So much so that we can’t really cover them all on our show anymore. However, some of them definitely seem worth…

Call for Comments: She-Hulk is Sensational… you just don’t know it yet!

From Monica: I know….we’ve only had one episode air so far and usually over at VoxPop we wait on this kinda thing. We’re also usually big champions of “adaptations don’t need to hold a deep reverence for adhering to their source materials.”  But this time around, I think we should do things a little backwards.…

e223. The Cultural Impact of Ms. Marvel on Disney+

This Wednesday saw the season finale of Ms. Marvel on Disney+, a show that we have been thoroughly enjoying. However, there’s been a weird bit of reaction to Ms. Marvel and the MCU in general as of late. While the critical reviews of Ms. Marvel are overwhelmingly positive (it currently sits at a 98% on…

e218. Does the Bechdel Test Fail the Bechdel Test?

A funny thing happened last week. The internet got into a minor scuffle about whether Fire Island, a film about gay men, was sexist because it failed the Bechdel Test, by not having substantive roles for women… because it was a movie about gay men. For those who haven’t seen the film… which frankly, is…

CFC: Bechdel Tests, Fire Island, and the lack of nuance in pop culture criticism

From Mav: So I hate the Bechdel Test. I think it’s stupid. See what I’m doing here is saying something kind of outrageous to start an article and then going into a more nuanced discussion where I try to make a larger point but that will be ignored by a lot of people who just…

e217. Online Shopping, Thrifting, and The Death of Mall Culture

When’s the last time you hung out at the mall? We don’t mean when is the last time you went to a mall, ran in, got something and left. When is the last time you really hung out there? Once upon a time, this used to be a thing. Families took all day shopping trips…

Call for Comments: “Get in loser, we’re going shopping”

From Monica: This week on VoxPop, we’re feeling nostalgic for the ultimate palace of capitalism— the mall. Because even if you don’t like shopping, the sheer quantity of things geographically centered meant that you probably bought clothes, or read comics, or listened to CDs, or saw a movie, or had a haircut, or took a…

e215. Taboo Teen TV Tropes

Does it bother you when you’re watching your favorite steamy teen drama on TV and they add a formulaic subplot about two step siblings who suddenly fall in love. What about when you see a plot line where a student has an affair with their teacher or some other older adult? How about when there’s…

CFC: Media and the Naughty Taboo Relationship

From Mav: A lot of times our episode ideas come from one of us seeing something and then just wanting to talk about it with each other to formulate a stronger idea for ourselves. But in order to get there — at least for me — I still have to have a vague sort of…

e214. How To Make A Great Documentary! (and Why?)

Have you ever done that thing where you’re doing some work, and you toss on a Netflix documentary, just to have some background noise going. You’re not really trying to pay attention. But the next thing you know, you’re twenty minutes deep into learning about the competitive world of speed Rubik’s cube solving? And now…